bareal de montaud



o Model.) 2 sheets Sheet 1.-

0. BAPJRAL DE MONTAUD. ELECTRIC AOOUMULATOR.

INVENTOR: J 13 I WITNESSES; HM.-%WM By his Aliomeys,

03mm, c v v I m* f m;

N. PETERS. PhohrLilhngnpher. Washington D C 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

(-No Model.)

G. BARRAL DEMONTAUD.

ELECTRIC AOOUMULATOR.

Patented Jan. 18, 1887 D3 ow. Tr M E v% mu W M an b W|TNESSESI By hzs Attorneys,

theirs TATES CHARLES BARRAL DE MONTAUD, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

ELECTRIC ACCUMULATOR.

ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,390, dated January 18, 1887.

Application filed October 23, 1880. Serial No. 217,072. (No model.) Patented in France December 19, 1883, No. 159.205, and August 2 1885, No. 170,874; in England June 4, 1884, No. 8,573; in Belgium June 4, 1884, No. 65,380; in Austria-Hungary June 17, 1884, No. 45,806, and No. 15,660; in Germany June 22, 1884, No. 34,173, and in Italy June 25,1884, No. 780.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES BARRAL DE ll/IONTAUD, a citizen of the French Republic, residing in Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Accumulators, of which the following is a specification.

I have received Letters Patent on this invention in foreign countries as follows: France, No. 159,265, December 19, 1 883; No. 170,874, August 27, 1885, and certificate of addition to the latter patent, September 9, 1885; Great Britain, No. 8, 573, June 4, 1884; Belgium, No. 65,380, June 4, 1884; Austria-Hungary, June 17, 1884, the Austrian patent beingnumbered 45,806 and the Hungarian 15,660; Germany,

No. 84,173, June 22, 1884, and Italy, No. 780,

June 25, 1884.

My present invention relates to the construction of the battery and the insulation of the battery-case, and is illustrated .in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figures 1 and 2 are sections of a batterycase in planes at right angles to each other. Fig. 3 is a detached view of one of the spac-. ing-combs, and Fig. 4 is avertical section of a portion of the bottom of the case on a larger scale, showing one of the mushroom insulatingrfeet.

The plates which Iuse in the battery are lead plates which have been previously prepared by coating the positive plate with peroxide of lead and the negative plate with spongy lead, the spongy lead on the negative platebeing compacted by pressure after its deposition. The sheets of lead, G G, thus pre pared are soldered to two rods, H H, of lead, mixed with four per cent. of antimony, to give them greater rigidity. The positive plates are soldered to one rod and the negative plates to the other. are placed the copper contacts for making the connections.

In order to separate the plates and maintain an equal spacing at all points, I employ a little board, 0, of about one centimeter thickness. This board is in the form of a comb, rectangular, by preference, and is constructed of wood, fiber, celluloid, ebonite, or any other At the ends of the rods material, and between the teeth a c of this comb are placed the'plates of lead. The spacing of the teeth varies according to the thickness of the plates fitted into them, and their parallel number accords with the number of the plates.

The back I) of the comb, which is plain for a height of about two centimeters, serves to insulate from the bottom of the box the plates which rest on this back. This permits all detritus and impurities to be deposited on the bottom of the box, thereby avoiding all accidental contact thereof with the plates. The weight of the accumulator rests entirely on the back of the combs. These are all placed with their backs downward, and their nun1- ber varies according to the dimensions of the plates.

In addition to the vertical combs, I provide also some little combs, O 0 arranged horizontally and engaging the ends of the plates, thereby serving to keep the plates in place longitudinally and make their ends even. It is obvious that under these conditions the spacing of the plates is rigorously exact, each plate being heldby the vertical combs from top to' bottom and by the horizontal combs at itsends. Thus the entire accumulator is firmly bound together with the aid of the rods, and forms, as it were, a rigid block or body. The exterior teeth of the combs serve to insulate the accumulator from the leaden case containing it and to prevent any leakage of electricity along the sides.

When it is desired to take out the accumulator from its case, in order to examine it or for other purpose, some hooks are used,which may be inserted between the plates and take hold of the rods, whereupon the accumulator may be lifted out, the combs being lifted with it. Thus by my construction the combs serve both to make the accumulator solid or firm and to permit of its being examined without fear of disarranging the plates.

It only remains to completely insulate the accumulator from the earth to prevent any leakage of the current and consequent grounding or short-circuiting of the circuit. The importanceof this is manifest when one considers the part played in telegraphy by the earthcircuit. This insulation I provide by mounting the accumulator-case on insulating-feet of peculiar construction.

E is the bottom of the wooden box or case. (See Fig. 4.) L is the lead lining thereof, and D is one of the insulating-feet with which I provide the case. The foot D is made of porcelain or other insulating material in the form of a mushroom, and is fastened to the wooden exterior of the box by a screw, B. The head of this screw is covered by an insulating-varnish, A, which is placed in a recess in the base of the foot, and serves to preserve the screw from rust and prevent the salts from climbing up around the screw.

The mushroom shape of the foot is such that if a drop of water were to run down the outside of the case and meet the foot it would not run down the foot to the ground, and thereby make communication with earth, but will, on the contrary, drop from the extremity of the mushroom-shaped head, thereby leaving the stem of the foot dry and insular. Neverthe less, a piece of glass is placed under the foot to make the insulation still more perfect.

Under the head of the mushroom is an an-. nular groove, which is filled with insulatingvarnish, F, to keep the salts from climbing up the exterior of the foot to the case. Before reaching the case they are arrested at the girdle of varnish F.

I am aware that hitherto it has been proposed to construct the sides of battcry-cases with vertical grooves, the same terminating a short distance above the bottom of the case, the object of the grooved sides being to space the plates, the edges of which are inserted therein. Such a construction does not fulfill the purpose of the combs, since the latter can be placed anywhere in the case, and can support the plates at their centers to prevent their bending downward or toward each other.

I claim as my invention 1. An accumulator consisting of plates of lead combined with combs, between the teeth of which the plates are inserted, whereby the plates are supported and kept propeily spaced, substantially as set forth.

2. An accumulator consisting of combs arranged in a vertical plane with their backs downward and their teeth projecting upwardly, the leaden plates inserted between said teeth and resting on the back of the combs, and the case of the accumulator with the backs of the combs resting on its bottom, whereby the plates are held elevated out of contact with the bottom of the case, combined substantially as set forth.

3. An accumulator consisting of combs arranged in vertical planes with their teeth projecting upwardly, the leaden plates inserted between said teeth, and combs arranged in horizontal planes and engaging the ends of the plates, combined substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with an accumulator case, of insulating-feet, each made of 1nushroom shape, attached to the bottom of the case by a screw passing through it, and having a coating of insulating-varnish to cover the head 'of the screw and close the screw-hole, substantially as set forth, whereby the climbing of salts up the screw is prevented.

5. The combination, with an accumulatorcase, of insulating-feet fastened to its bottom, each foot being of mushroom shape and having a girdle of insulating-varnish under its overhanging head, substantially as set forth, whereby the climbing of salts up the exterior of the foot is prevented.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES BARRAL DE MOS'IAUD.

Witnesses:

AMAND BITTER, Roar. M. HOOPER,

U. S. Consulate- General. 

